It Is Time
by Misha Tedesco
Summary: A story that takes place years before the books, about Dartemis and Coral, Matt and Isabel's mother: Dartemis has completed his task in the mortal world, and knows what he must do next, no matter how much it pains him.


In the books, there is only the briefest mention of Coral, Matt and Isabel's mother, and of her relationship with Dartemis. I think it is one of the most interesting subplots of the books, and I wanted to expand on it. I hope you enjoy.

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It is time: The time I have always known would come, and yet somehow began to believe I could put off. Denying the inevitable is a decidedly human quality. I have been in this form for far too long.

Coral is standing before me in the dimly lit kitchen of her small flat. Her figure is silhouetted by the street lamps shining through a small window above the sink where she is currently filling a kettle with water. She moves sleepily to the stove where she sets down the kettle, and her light robe billows behind her as she walks to the counter and retrieves a loaf of bread. Her thoughts are bared to me, and I know that she is recalling our night together. She is thinking of our love making, and of looking into my eyes and feeling as though my soul was opened to her, and hers to mine.

As I register these thoughts, a sharp feeling of guilt takes root in my stomach. She does not know the part she is playing in all this. She does not know just how dishonest I have been, or of the final betrayal that I must carry out this very night. It must be tonight, for as she moves about the kitchen engrossed in preparing our midnight snack, it is not only her thoughts that I hear. There is a second strain of thought emitting from her, quite separate from her own. It is small, like a spider's web blowing in the wind, but I hear it as though it is a scream. It is the first glimmer of consciousness from her child. My child. Our son.

Upon hearing these tendrils reach out to me, part of me rejoices at having succeeded where my brother regrettably failed so many years ago. It is for the very purpose of conceiving a child that I came to this realm. The need has arisen to create another immortal who will turn the tides in this prophesized war against my sister. And an immortal this child must be, for there is no other way these tiny threads of consciousness would be possible so soon after conception.

I try to remind myself that, having accomplished my goal, there is no logical reason to remain here. To neglect my responsibilities longer than I already have would be negligent to the point of recklessness. This fact has become my mantra of late, which I recite every time my resolve begins to waver. Even so, I know that I would forsake my responsibilities for the woman before me. There is another reason, one even more pressing, which I cannot ignore.

My sister has started to sense my presence. To linger here when at any moment she may be able to discover my location, to discover that I still exist, could have disastrous effects. She would attempt to manipulate my powers, and while I do not necessarily believe that she could achieve this, her rage at my existence being kept secret from her would be more than enough to contend with. She would unleash her wrath on my brother, and perhaps on this world that he holds dear, where Coral and our child dwell. I cannot allow my own selfish desires endanger my small family.

It is my greatest regret that I will not, cannot be here to see the look of joy in Coral's eyes as she discovers what we have created. Even as I think this, I have to wonder if she will feel any joy at all. What I must do tonight will confuse her, maybe even frighten her, but it cannot be any other way. She cannot know of the double life I lead, or of the double life our child must one day lead. She would not be able to cope with this revelation. Her mortal mind and body are limited, frail, inferior, and so beautifully perfect.

I never intended to love this woman before me, this being so many thousands of years younger than myself, yet filled with more devotion to me than my many faithful servants and comrades. This is a devotion which I cannot return, much as I long to with every fiber of my being.

She continues to maneuver around the kitchen, now humming a slow tune, her back to me. She rocks back and forth to the melody while carefully spreading raspberry jam on a piece of toast. Despite my dark thoughts, I allow myself a half smile at this. As part of my mortal persona, I told her that this was my favorite flavor, and she has kept it in the house ever since. I never could have guessed that such a simple, domestic thing could arouse such contentment within me.

My eyes are fixed on her swaying motion, and I long to rise from my seat at the table to press my body against her back and wrap my arms around her. Any other night I would do this without a second thought. Right now, however, I dare not move this close to her. My resolve is weakening by the second, and I fear that one touch will make it impossible for me to finish my task. I must leave her tonight.

This thought sends an aching pain through me, which settles in my chest and holds my heart in an iron grip. This is a feeling which I relish as much as despise. Never before have I experienced emotion to the point of physical pain. All my life I trained to control my emotions through calming meditation. Coral has brought out a part of me that I never wanted to know existed. Now that it is discovered, however, I would not trade it for anything. My suffering only means that the love we have is real and powerful. I have to believe that it is strong enough to endure our separation.

Although leaving Coral will be one of the most difficult choices I have ever made, I try to remind myself that it is temporary. It will last only as long as her mortal lifetime, after which she will join me in my world. Although this may seem a long time from her limited perspective, it is only a flash in the eyes of an immortal. I have never dreaded anything more.

The longer I muse about my impeding departure, the tighter the strangling grip on my heart becomes, and to my surprise, I begin to panic slightly. Although this is an unfamiliar feeling, I recognize the signs from my time living among mortals. My heart rate is increasing, my breathing is becoming unsteady, and beads of sweat are appearing on my brow. I focus on meditative breathing with all my might, determined not to alert Coral to the fact that there is anything wrong. She is now washing her used silverware, blissfully unaware of my inner turmoil, and that is how she must stay.

As she dries her hands and completes her task, I realize that at any moment she will come to join me at the table with the food. I must not let her get that far. I must not let her turn around and see me. I must not see her beautiful face lit up by a smile. I must not hear her thoughts radiating towards me, clearly displaying her love.

I know that the moment is seconds away now. She is pouring boiling water into two mugs for tea, the last stage of this nightly ritual. My breath catches in my throat and my heart beats loudly in my chest, despite my efforts to remain calm. I pray that she cannot hear it. With all my strength, I concentrate on the next phase of the plan. I force myself to recall each step, and vainly strive for indifference as I do so.

I will myself to become invisible. It takes but a single thought, and the first phase of the plan is complete. I clamp my eyes shut and force my mind into detached neutrality as I review the next step. I must invade her mind, find all traces of memory of my time spent with her, and erase them. I look to her, back still turned to me save for a sliver of her dimly lit face. I gaze at her for the longest second of my impossibly long life, drinking in every detail of her delicate features. Have I ever truly noticed the soft wave if her hair, or the graceful curve of her neck? I take in this image before me greedily, like a man starving. I need her. I love her. But I cannot have her, and the though is almost too much to bear.

Not allowing myself another moment's reflection, I reach into her mind, and within seconds I have located all memories of our time together. I clench my jaw to brace myself as I begin to wipe them from her mind, telling myself over and over again that this is the right thing. It does not take long, and I am nearly done when she picks up the two plates she has prepared, and turns towards my seemingly empty seat. For the briefest moment I see confusion in her eyes, and I know she is wondering where I have gone. And then it is done. She cannot see me, and does not know me, though I sit directly in front of her.

She looks down at the plates in her hand, bewildered at the double serving. She frowns, then laughs softly, chalking it up to her lack of sleep and the late hour. She then turns back to the counter, and sees the two cups of tea. Her brow furrows. She is worried now, and turns around yet again, as if looking for someone. I want to scream at her to let her know that I am here, that I have always been here, that I always will be here. But I cannot. I can only watch in silence as the woman I love who no longer knows me walks to the sink shaking her head, and pours the cup of tea that she lovingly prepared for me down the drain.

The tears streaming silently down my face would normally come as a surprise, were there any room left in my heart for such a feeling. As it currently stands, I feel only anguish.

Coral now picks up her single plate and cup of tea and walks past me towards her bedroom, where I have shared her bed so many nights. The thought of her under the blankets alone, unaware that it has ever been any other way nearly halts my immortal heart. I resolve to leave before I can witness this final bereavement.

I prepare to transport myself back to my world, where I will resume my normal life in hiding from my sister, doing what I can to help the Guard in their battle against all evil. It is a small consolation that I now return there with a new purpose: I will wait for the day that my son is old enough to understand his true parentage and purpose, and bring peace to the many chaotic worlds.

At last, I summon the power to begin the transportation, but a thought strikes me, and I abruptly stop. Although my growing family cannot know me, there is one last thing that I can do for them.

As Coral walks by me on her way out of the kitchen, I leave her with one thought, projected into her psyche so forcefully that even her mortal mind will latch onto it, though she will not yet know why.

_Matthew._


End file.
